A turning point for nature: Canadian scientists call for federal leadership on conservation
Canada’s accelerating biodiversity and climate crises threaten ecosystems, communities, and the economy. Significant progress toward international and national conservation targets—supported by federal investment and Indigenous‑led stewardship—is now at risk as key funding programs near expiration. Here, we caution that stalled initiatives will jeopardize hard‑won gains that have taken decades to materialize, undermine reconciliation commitments, while escalating long‑term ecological and economic costs. Renewed federal leadership is essential to safeguard Nature and maintain Canada’s global conservation momentum.
Authors
- Natalie C. Ban (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4682-2144)
- Noella J. Gray (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6328-4886)
- Sabine Jessen
- William W. L. Cheung
- U. Rashid Sumaila
- Christopher J. Lemieux
- Robin Roth
- Tatyana Feiner
Institutions
- Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CA)
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada (CA)
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- University of Victoria (CA)
- Wilfrid Laurier University (CA)
- University of Guelph (CA)
Publication Details
- Journal
- npj Ocean Sustainability
- Published
- 2026-03-31
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s44183-026-00194-1
- Primary Topic
- Conservation, Ecology, Wildlife Education
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada